Monday, 26 December 2016

Tally Ho

Crisp, cold morning and I was keen to get outside and get some fresh
air.It was a toss-up between an hour’s
walk to the Dumb Post (pub) or drive to nearby Lacock for the traditional
Boxing Day meet of horse and hounds.The
fact that it would take us another hour to walk home from the pub probably
influenced the decision to drive to the meet.

Lacock is a place lost in time, a beautifully preserved English
village with quaint stone cottages and half timbered buildings. The Avon
Vale Hunt was due to meet outside the Red Lion at 11.00 a.m.I thought it would be nice to amble amongst
the horses and hounds, sipping our mulled wine.I hadn’t realised that half the world would be there (the other half
were out shopping at the Boxing Day sales). We managed to get our mulled wine
but the crowds meant it was very difficult to even get close to the horses.

Still, it was all very convivial, even with the crowds.No protestors present but then they haven’t
got much to protest about these days as the hunt is forbidden to chase foxes.I hope somebody told the dogs that.

A classy woman taking a selfie there. We had the Boxing Day hunt today and hundreds in the town square to see them ride off. One of my stockbroker friends ended up great friends with a hunt saboteur and the saboteur girl changed sides and learned to ride and started riding with the hunt.